End discrimination against ex-servicemen, demand IESM

IESM Chairman Lt Gen Raj Kadyan told reporters in New Delhi 8220;We will go on a relay hunger strike from October 20 if government does not accept our demands. We want to be treated equally and discrimination against us should end8221;.

First and the 8220;non negotiable8221; demand of IESM was 8220;One Rank-One Pension8221; for all the ex-servicemen, who retired after serving equal number of years and attaining same rank, irrespective of the time of joining and retirement.

8220;This is something we have been demanding since 1982. Why should somebody who served and retired earlier get lesser pension than someone who joined later and served the same number of years and attained same rank before retiring,8221; he asked.

He maintained that this demand was 8220;totally non-negotiable8221; under any circumstances. The other demands of IESM include the enactment of a Parliamentary Act for the resettlement of Ex Servicemen, constitution of an Ex-Servicemen Commission for welfare of veteran headed by an Ex-Servicemen and representation of Ex-servicemen in all the committees and bodies constituted for looking in to Ex-Servicemen affairs.